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Burma’s Soldiers Beware

Military commanders on both sides of Burma’s civil war need to know that they will be held accountable for any war crimes they commit.

By

Matthew Smith

Dec. 3, 2014 12:43 p.m. ET

It didn’t take long for military attacks to resume in Burma following President Barack Obama’s visit last month. Less than a week after Air Force One departed, the Burmese army shelled a rebel training camp in Kachin State, killing 23 cadets. Just days later, it bombarded an area near a camp for displaced civilians, prompting rare public protests in Rangoon and a statement of concern from the U.S. Embassy.

This is the gritty truth of the “new Myanmar.” The story of successful cease-fire agreements and burgeoning democracy...